EDWARD EVERETT HORTON

March 18, 1886

Edward Everett Horton was born in Brooklyn, New York. He began his stage career in 1906, singing and dancing and playing small parts in vaudeville and in Broadway productions. In 1919, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he began acting in Hollywood films. 

During his long career, he was in five Oscar Best Picture nominees: The Front Page (1931), The Gay Divorcee (1934), Top Hat (1935), Lost Horizon (1937) and Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941).

His first role was in the silent comedy Too Much Business (1922). 

He made his television debut playing Sheridan Whiteside in a 1949 CBS TV production of “The Man Who Came To Dinner” as part of “Ford Theatre Hour.” Lucy’s friend Mary Wickes reprised the role of Nurse Preen, a role she originated on stage and also played in the film version. 

His first collaboration with Lucille Ball was Top Hat in 1935. Horton played Horace Hardwick while Ball was uncredited as a flower seller. 

They also did the 1939 Kay Kayser film That’s Right – You’re Wrong, in which Horton played screenwriter Tom Village and Ball played Sandra Sand. 

Their last feature film together was Her Husband’s Affairs in 1949.  Horton played J.B. Cruikshank, and Ball was Margaret Weldon. 

Ball asked Horton to appear opposite Bea Benadaret on the “I Love Lucy” episode “Lucy Plays Cupid”

(ILL S1;E15 ) filmed on December 13, 1951 and first aired on January 21, 1952. 

Lucy plays matchmaker between an elderly spinster (Benadaret) and Mr. Ritter, the butcher, who thinks that it is Lucy who is romantically interested in him!  

In 1965 he played the recurring role of Chief Roaring Chicken on “F Troop” and the following year played Chief Screaming Chicken on "Batman.” He is probably best remembered as the narrator of Rocky and Bullwinkle’s "Fractured Fairy Tales” (1959-61). 

Horton’s final screen appearance was posthumously in the film Cold Turkey in 1971, released posthumously.  Horton died on September 29, 1970 at at 84.